All Hallow's Eve
by Phantom Shyraz
Summary: The world consists of more than humans, not that many know. But with so few in numbers, having been hunted down by humans, many species have chosen to find mates inter-species. Such a union often does not result in offspring, hence the need for a magical artifact. When the most abhorred, Vampire, finds union with an Incubus, what could result? -AU, Kaishin-
1. Meeting in the Dark

**-All Hallow's Eve-**

Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

Warning: KaiShin relationship. AU-ish.

A/N: Happy Halloween! I wanted to get this out on time, the idea's been sitting around for too long.

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 **01: Meeting in the Dark**

Akako strolled casually down the sidewalk underneath the early evening sun. It was the one day of the year when she could dress as she was supposed to and take a walk without anyone casting strange stares at her. It helped that there were many who were dressed in black robes and white sheets, walking around the streets, chatting happily and making spooky sounds to scare off anyone close by. Although Halloween is not a traditional festival in Japan, many in Tokyo and other big cities had embraced this western festival and had gone all out in decorating their shops, or in some cases the front porch of their house, and dressed up as they go out for the evening. Already, she had seen many other witches, though of the more traditional black-garbed type, more than a dozen ghosts, a variety of undead creatures, one or two unicorns, and quite a large handful of Kaitou KID.

Briefly, she wondered whether a certain magician also came out to celebrate as his beloved thief.

It was then she noticed a rather large spike in magical energy in the air. She could literally feel her skin tingling at the pleasant jolt. Centering herself, she tries to hone into the source and found her legs automatically taking her towards a park.

As she travelled, her red eyes took note of the surrounding, finding the area eerily empty for some odd reason. People seemed to be avoiding the streets leading up to the park, many opted to take the side streets and turning abruptly the moment they found themselves on the pavement leading to the park. It was not much of a surprise seeing as how magical energy concentrated as she neared the park. It was palpable to the point that she felt she could cut through the air with a knife. Steeling herself, just in case it really was a monster lurking in the area, she took an amulet from one of the many pouches on her waist and held it tight in her palms. If it truly was a monster, it would be an opportunity for her to hunt.

The empty park, unfortunately, left her feeling slightly down.

'Well, there's always another reason for such concentration of magical energy.' She avoided the main square and walked closer to the edge of the vegetation. She remembered there was a rather rare plant somewhere along the edges, one that could have accumulated such vast amounts of energy.

The slight rustling to her right made her stop her search for the plant. Instead, she turned and headed towards the direction where her heard small gasps of breath. Carefully, weary of making any further sounds lest she spooked whatever was in the foliage, she approached the sound. Underneath a large canopy, hidden beneath the shadows of the tree's branches, were two individuals. Though to call them individuals was quite stretching it. It was clear that these two were not humans, but rather humanoid in physical appearance. The one with the back towards Akako had a large black cape swaying with the near non-existent breeze and was burying itself into the neck of the other. The companion of the caped individual had its eyes closed and a face full of ecstasy, reaching and grabbing at the fabric of the cape as its head fell backwards towards the tree's trunk. The slight rustling of sound were caused by the extra appendages, a large pair of leather wings and a whispy tail that swayed and hit on nearby shrubs.

Akako was shocked still. She felt awkward, having to intrude upon such an obviously intimate moment between these two species. It was quite rare to find such a case.

Just as she was about to leave, the owner of the wings and tail suddenly took a rather large intake of air and immediately, as though zoning onto Akako's location, had its head turned to where she stood. Bright, luminous violet eyes bore into Akako's red. She recognised those eyes as she saw them daily at school. His companion paused in mid action, slowly extracting itself from the previous position. The head turned slightly, revealing a set of rather blue eyes glaring in annoyance. The pair shared whispered words before the caped figure leapt up into the air and disappeared with a fluttering of wings.

"Koizumi. Never would I have expected to bump into you like this." Kuroba Kaito stepped out from the shadows, revealing his white leather wings and tail to the world. Akako was in awe, never had she heard of a demon of such colour. Now, though, it roused her curiosity as she wondered what sort of demon the magician was.

"What are you?" She asked softly, approaching the magician.

"What do you think?" He turned around like models in a fashion show, strutting out his hips. Akako noticed how very little, or near to none to be exact, he was wearing. White colour fur strategically covered his skin to contain his modesty. There was a rather large tattoo on his chest, done in a silvery-white ink, but the symbols were not something Akako could read easily without her grimoire. The thin white tail, with a rather spiked end, flicked this side and that as he turned as though trying to help balance the magician.

"You're an Incubi?" She asked. It explained how the magician was able to withstand her allure spell and why female flocked to him in hords.

"Bingo!" He snapped his hand, immediately a flower appeared. "As expected from a Red Sorceress. Or should that be a Red Mage?" He offered the flower, or more specifically a stem with many small flowers. She did not recognise the flower on-the-fly, only noting its rather delicate looking petals that resembled bunched up cotton. He twirled the stem, in front of her with the intention of having her take it from his hold.

Carefully, she extracted the stem and took a closer look at the small white flowers. Not all of the buds on the stem were in full bloom.

"Japanese Rowan?" She asked, not too sure herself.

"Of course." The smile, should anyone be exposed to it, would have had them pouncing on the magician. However, as Akako herself is magical in nature, she could resist the allure the other was so prominently letting out. "However, what is a Red Mage like yourself doing in this part of town. Shouldn't you be out gathering energies and whatnot?"

"I could ask you the same Kuroba-kun. Even though you've probably gathered enough to last you the next month or so during your last heist." Taking one more look at the flower, she tucked the stem into the shoulder pads of her current clothes, the snake that had been previously resting immediately sneezed at the intrusion and gave Akako a _Look_.

"It's All Hallow's Eve. Surely, I'm more than expected to be out at this hour. Plus there's the party later on that Aoko insisted we go. I'm killing two birds with one stone." VIolet eyes glimmered with mischief. "And stop trying to insinuate I'm KID."

"Now that I know you magical and life signature, I could easily match this to, say, a particular someone at a rather well publicised night-time even? And what then? Should I unmask you like that or are you going to admit it now and spare the both of us of any further arguments?" Akako pushed forwards, knowing that she pretty much lost any chance of having the magician as part of her harem. But that is not to say she could not make his life a living hell just for fun.

"Alright, alright. I admit." He answered dejectedly, throwing his hands up in the air with defeat. "And I hid it so well…"

"No you didn't." She sighed mentally thinking how could anyone be this naive to think no one would notice the concentrated energy. "Anyone with an ounce of ability would immediately feel something wrong with the area and come to investigate." It is well known in the magical community, that there are people out hunting for mystical beings like themselves. Either they hunt for the sake of hunting, hunt for _parts_ , or hunt because they were afraid of them. No matter their reasons, it always meant mystical beings had to hide their nature. Akako was blessed in this sense that she was a Mage. Beings like Kuroba, borne to be something other than _human_ can sometimes have a rather difficult time hiding amidst normal human beings. It was made worse seeing as non-humans required other sources of nutrition, and in an incubus' case, energies.

Kuroba mocked a heavy sighed and walked himself out into the open. Akako noticed more detail about the magician with the higher concentration of moonlight. The fur which she assumed to be white, was actually a gradation of silver colour. There was a light sparkle, something like glitter, on the white leathery wings. It may be because of the lack of colour, the tinge of redness on the neck was made more prominent.

"Kuroba-kun..is that…" She reached out hesitantly towards the twin puncture holes that were slow to close, but it was closing before her eyes even if it left two small dots of red. Immediately, Kuroba reached up to his neck to cover the mark. "Don't tell me, your partner is a _vampire_." She said the final word in disgust.

Vampires portrayed by human beings are very much accurate. They rely too much on their instinct and draining every single living being, be it human or not, in their path to satiate their thirst. It was this reason that relationships between vampire and other species were very strained as vampires attack indiscriminately. Mages were often conscripted to remove the vampires, leading to many bloody battles and heavy lost on the Mages' side. It was only recently, two decades ago to be precise, when a vampire representative approached the Mages with some sort of compromise. The vampires set up their own monitoring system to help keep their species in check. But so far, none of the other species believed them fully, there was still tension and even though vampires were now tolerated, they were still not liked.

"He's not like whatever you're thinking." Quickly he added, "he's not your normal _sucker_. Though that is not to say he doesn't take his share after much insistence. But he really disliked to follow his instinct. If I hadn't forced it on him, he'd rather starve himself!"

"I've never heard of a vampire willingly deprive themselves of blood." Akako knew vampires prefer human blood to those from mystical beings but to hear one who just chose not to feed, it was unheard of.

"His whole family despised the act of draining people." The magician shook his head. "I probably shouldn't say this but…" He glanced about, as though fearing overhead. Akako saw the motion and waved her hand to cast a spell to dissuade anything from coming too close and overhear the conversation. Kuroba seemed to have picked up on the spell and smiled in appreciation. "His family are the ones who forced the truce between everyone. That's the whole reason why they are still hunted by all sides. That and...the reluctance to feed made him more vulnerable."

"When you say vulnerable…"

"Stop what you're thinking." Kuroba put up his hands in front of Akako. "If you're thinking I'll reveal any more, you can think again. And if I so much as hear you thinking of attacking him, you can bet your powers that I'll decimate you and the rest of the Mages. Don't think I don't have the power."

If the surrounding aura was anything to go by, Akako's prickling senses was telling her that the Kuroba, now slightly agitated, is dangerous. She can just imagine what an angered incubus could do.

"Then at least allow me to ask," Akako knows when to retreat and with Kuroba's stance, it would be prudent to retreat and drop the matter all together. "Where is your partner going now?"

"I demanded him to feed. But knowing him, it would be more like raiding a nearby blood bank rather than actually feeding off a live human." He sighed, shaking his head. "It just isn't the same but no matter how I try to tell him it would only weaken him further, he would not listen."

There had been research and development on creating artificial blood for feeding. This was because not only vampires required blood as a form of nutrition, some other mystical beings such as the Lamia and other Japanese origin Youkai requires blood as a form of sustenance. The Mages have spent much time in research but so far, the artificial blood lacked certain aspects that made them not feasible as a long term source. She knew blood from blood bank had been processed and her own research found that they too were lacking in certain magical elements.

"How long?" She asked, more out of curiosity. "How long has he lived off the blood from blood bank."

"As far as I know, since he could remember. Though he did mention he was used to taking blood from animals rather than human, or even mystical beings."

"I hate to say this but prolonged feeding off non-human source would be hazardous." One of the experiments the Mages had recorded was done on a captured vampire, depriving it of human blood and instead giving it animal blood. Suffice to say, the vampire became extremely weak, suffering even in complete darkness without the slightest bit of light. Said vampire was kept barely alive after the deprivation, on the tiniest amount of stale human blood, so that the Mages could continue their experiment on finding methods of controlling the vampire species. Thankfully, the experiment was brought to a halt a century ago and the vampire was laid to rest after decades of torture.

"Try telling that to him. He just won't listen…"

"So you thought to offer yourself as a source?" She lifted an eyebrow with small amount of amusement. She had to wonder whether the being in front of her was truly a demon or if he was a human in demon clothing. Normal demons and mystical beings could care less about vampires. But here Kuroba stands, defending and protecting one.

"What else am I supposed to do? I'm not going to have him waste away. Especially since I've found him to be my mate."

"WHAT?!" Akako exclaimed. Although it was not unheard of for a species to find a mate in another species, but to find a vampire to be a mate, that is the first time she heard of it. "You can't be serious."

"Of course I am." Kuroba nodded. "He's _perfect_." With how his voice seemingly to drip with adoration, Akako could sense how much the magician loved and, dare she say it, lust after his partner. It hinted to the incubus' current needs.

"You should go feed as well." She lifted off the spell. "You're...showing too much."

"Eh?" Kuroba glanced at his physical self.

"Not that, but you're becoming quite obvious of your needs."

"Ah. Yes, it seems I have yet to have my own fill." He scratched his cheeks in embarrassment. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll go look for my own meal. Don't worry, I'll leave some choice male for you to _devour_."

"You make me sound like one of your type." Akako was tempted to throw a hex at him just for the sake of it. "And what do you mean 'leaving some choice male'? Don't tell me you're a hermaphrodite?" This was even more rare than the discoloration and his choice in mate. For an Incubi, or a Succubi, to be capable of having both genders of partners made them all the easier to find sources of sustenance. She remembered reading that it was also possible that hermaphrodite beings were often stronger than normal with their natural powers more potent.

"Excuse me, but I'm just not picky like the rest of my brethrens." He turned to face Akako, tail swinging elegantly behind him. "I consider myself to be a bi, so energies male and female could satisfy me." His grin was too wide to be considered as innocent. "Anyways, I'll see you at the party. And if you're lucky, I might be able to drag my mate to come as well. It's high time he's become more social. I swear staying at that dreary mansion after...well, that's just not good for anyone, no matter the species."

Akako felt there was more to the magician's words but she was unwilling to question further in case she touched on subjects that should be kept hiddens. It seems anything involving his mate were touchy subjects.

 **-TBC-**


	2. In Search of Blood

**-All Hallow's Eve-**

Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

Warning: KaiShin relationship. AU-ish.

A/N: Be ecstatic I've uploaded, even if there's a lack of KaiShin interaction, or Shinichi with any DC/MK character interaction. Hopefully it will provide some background info.

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 **02: In Search of Blood**

After leaving Kaito in the shadows of the trees, he decided to take flight underneath the new-moon skies. It was rare for him to have enough strength to flex his wings, the same leathery wings as Kaito but only in midnight colours. His cloak flapped in the wind as he gathered speed. As much as he wanted to follow Kaito's advice to search for some unfortunate soul, who just happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and who just happens to also be the scums of the Earth that managed to stumbled across his path, to take his share of blood, it was something that his morals would not allow him. He may be a vampire, but he also knows the value of a life and taking them like he does was just...immoral.

He licked his lips, tasting the slightly tangy and sweet taste that still lingered. Immediately, he felt fire burning through him, as though telling him he should find something more substantial and filling rather than the tidbit from Kaito. He had been unwilling to take his fangs to the supple flesh but Kaito just has a way with his words to persuade him to do things. It was as though a simple word, or a turn of phrase, could move him to action. Sighing, he flapped his wings to change directions to land on a concrete building, one that he frequent and knows the mystical being who worked there. The worker was forever in his debt, having saved him during the day in his human guise from being convicted of murder and becoming a victim at the same time. After all, a life debt was not something to be taken lightly.

Carefully, he lifted the skylight and dropped down into the office below. The empty room was brightly lit with the fluorescent light from the ceiling and the table lamp. The desktop computer was still on a word processing screen, indicating the owner just left the office. There were many other knick-knacks littered on the table. Ever since he saved the worker, said worker rose up the ranks of the organisation at an astonishing rate, earning him the current office. He took a seat on the opposite side, settling himself for a wait. Thankfully, it did not take long.

"Kudo-kun! What a surprise," He looked appreciatively at Shinichi, "and to see you in this form."

Shinichi smile was strained at the words. The man in front of him was the human guise of Balam, one of Solomon's 72 demons that govern the underworld. A King in his own right, and a white collar worker by day, that had Shinichi wonder why he would take residence in the human world.

"So? Why are you here? Not that I don't appreciate your presence." He took a seat at the desk. "Struggling with a case?"

"No, I was wondering if I could…" There was no need for him to further elaborate as the man in front of him frowned ever so slightly. Shinichi winced.

"I can offer you however much you need Kudo-kun, but even you must realize, processed blood is not good for you. And from what I know, you've been taking them since...well, since I've been in office." He sighed, tapping on the computer keyboard most likely bringing up the inventory list. "Prolonged use is bad for _your_ health. If you need help looking for targets, I'll be more than happy to point out people that can fit into your needs."

"It's just not... _fair_ on those people. No matter how much they deserve it." Shinichi gripped his pants tightly, trying to will away the instinct that had suddenly flared with the suggestion.

"Kudo-kun." He said, shaking his head, " _those people_ never even thought about such things when harming others. Yet, here you are, trying to suppress what is supposed to be your nature. If you feel this strongly about humans, I can further narrow them down…"

"No, it's fine. Just the normal packets would be more than enough for me." Shinichi let out a shuddering breath. The offer was so enticing that it took a moment to brush it away.

"Suit yourself Kudo-kun." There was a sense of despair from the King. "But really, it's only a matter of time before you couldn't control and then, what do you think would happen?"

"I'm hoping that it would never come. Or that I can find someway to seal myself away." It was something that he did not want to think too deeply about. So far, he had been able to control himself. If worst comes to worst, he could always take the APTX again and risk death to become Conan, where his vampiric side was destroyed to the point that left him as a human. Albeit, from what Haibara told him, he would not live past his actual age even as he grew up again as Conan.

"I think I'd rather force _something_ into you to keep you walking the Earth. You're far too valuable to lose, the amount of good you're doing is something that will be sorely missed if you were ever to disappear." With several more types, he looked satisfied with the results and stood up, motioning Shinichi to follow. "Come on then, I think there's some that have yet to be fully processed that you can use. Then there are those we have surplus amounts of that I can let you have."

"Sorry about that." He apologised, following closely behind. "I'm probably depriving someone in the hospital just so that I can live."

"Hey, there're not many who'll help your lot but I know better. And you're destined for great things Kudo-kun, I'm not about to let that future go to ruins. If there's anything I can do, be sure to know that I will do them." He said with confidence. "I'm not only indebted to you because you've saved me as a human, but it's because I know what you have done and admire you for it. You and your family is trying to make things better and I'm not one to standby and not do anything."

"Thank you yo-"

"Don't you _dare_ try and address me by title!" He warned, "I don't mind others saying it but you, I'd rather treat you as an equal if I can."

"Then thanks." Shinichi nodded after a moment. He can never guess what was running through the King's mind.

"Anyways," Shinichi looked towards the crouching King who was rummaging through the various packets of red liquid, "shouldn't youngsters like yourself be out and about, having fun, on this fine evening? Or did you have your fun already?" He waggled his eyebrow, to which Shinichi blushed and tries to turn away only to have the King throw a packet towards his direction. Shinichi caught it automatically, eyes immediately brightening at the tangy smell so enticing that he could not wait to tear into the packet. "Well, go on. What are you waiting for? That one's only a couple of hours old so it should satisfy you somewhat." The King turned away, giving Shinichi a sense of privacy even though he knew the elder is most likely no doubt tuning into his every movement.

Restraining his immediate instinct to bite directly into the packet, Shinichi looked about the room for a pair of scissors in an attempt to behave like a civilized being rather than the monster and animal that the world deemed a vampire to be. It took all his control to carefully cut a small opening into the plastic bag and take a swig at its content. He could not help but let out a satisfied moan of delight as the red liquid glided down his throat, cooling the heat from within. This was likely the next best thing from drinking straight from the source.

"Glad you enjoyed it." The King smiled in amusement, hands full with several other packets. He dumped them into a paper bag before pushing them into Shinichi's hands. "Here, no one would know about these. They're fresh, most within a day. Though they're all processed so it would not be filling…"

"It's more than enough. I can probably last a month or so on these." Shinichi eyed the dozen packets.

"A month?! Good grief, a growing boy like you need more than that! I expect you to have finished these within three days at most! Not a month! You're going to kill yourself at this rate."

"I have a scientist friend who's rather skilled at making artificial sources. I mainly survive off those. These are for...well...I guess emergencies?"

"No, just NO Kudo-kun. Stop trying to kill yourself this way." If Shinichi though Kaito was forceful, the King was even more so. "I refuse to see you on a slab or disintegrate into dust just because you were too stubborn to take in human blood."

"I wouldn't…" Shinichi always thought he would probably be either impaled on a stake or from a blessed bullet rather than just...disappear like nothing. He pictured his death to be quite deadly, not only because he was a vampire, but also because he made too many enemies as a detective.

"You will. Trust me." The amount of conviction, the seriousness in the voice, made Shinichi gulped in nervousness. "You better take in _something_ soon. Otherwise, who knows what would happen. I don't look forward to reading about you in the obituary."

"I'll be careful. My...doctor has been monitoring me ever since she knew about what I am."

"You have a _human_ doctor who's not afraid of you?" He sounded surprised. "I'd love to meet this person."

"That's only because she's a devil incarnate." He admitted.

"Really? Then I _must_ meet this person." The King did not detect the trace amount of sarcasm in Shinichi's words, probably because there are too many of the devil's offspring roaming around Earth to have the phrase considered to be a joke of sorts.

"No, she's just mean and evil in the sense. Not that she's actually related to the devil or his family." He told the King his story, how he was poisoned and turned into a child. All the while, the King frowned, brows deepening at every word. Though it was somewhat counterintuitive to tell someone his story, but Shinichi had a feeling that if the King wanted to know, he would have learnt of his story no matter whether Shinichi told him. That was just his nature.

"You know, you wouldn't have been poison in the first place if you'd only-..."

"Stop." Shinichi held up his hands, halting further words. "There's been too many people telling me the same thing and I don't need to hear it from you." Although his parents had mentioned a few words about his poisoning was mainly due to his reluctance but they understood him. However, there were some who just could not understand him. People like Hattori who keep insisting to embrace his nature, the wolf seemingly never cared Shinichi to be a vampire instead admired his insistence of protecting every living being.

"Good to know there're people close to you who has a cool head on their necks." He teased, patting his pant legs to rid himself of the non-existent dirt. "Well, I shouldn't take too much of your time. I know you're impatient to return back to your _partner_."

"Wh-?! How?" Shinichi became flustered, feeling his cheeks burn as he hurried his steps to put some distance between himself and the King.

"I _know_ things. Past, present and all things to come." He suddenly turned solemn. "And because I can see, that's why I know your future will only end in sorrow if you keep this up." His heterochromia eyes stared straight into Shinichi's blues. It made him shiver, as though the King could see directly into his soul. "What is to come is not yet set into stone, there are still opportunities to change it."

Nodding at the sage advice, Shinichi bid the King a good evening before leaving the building like a normal person, out the front door and into the chilly streets.

 **-TBC-**


	3. Of Tricks and Treats

**-All Hallow's Eve-**

Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

Warning: KaiShin relationship. AU-ish.

A/N: My plans for this to have finished in November backfired...it's not December and it's only on the 3rd chapter...

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 **03: Of Tricks and Treats**

"Trick or Treat!" Kaito yelled with the ringing of the doorbell. He was still quite giddy after having filled up on energies he gathered from several willing partners. Though even with a rather full stomach, he still has room for desserts and sweets.

An elderly woman came out, one hand bearing a Jack-'o-Lantern basket and another holding onto the doorknob. Her witch's hat sat crooked on the side of her head as he viewed Kaito, eyes travelling from his head to his feet then back up to look at his eyes.

"Good evening Baaya-san." He greeted with a smile.

"Ah," she opened the doorway wider to allow Kaito entrance into the Hakuba estate, "everyone has arrived and are waiting in the den."

"Thank you Baaya-san." He flicked his hand to produce an orange aster to offer to the elder lady. She took it in her hand, admiring for a second before frowning.

"Did you give me this because of its colour or did you have an alternate meaning? If you do, then I may have some _selected words_ with you Young Man."

"Apologies good lady." With a flick of hands and a puff of smoke, the aster turned into a rose. "This one should suit you better."

She nodded, closing the door once Kaito stepped through the threshold. He could feel coldness tingling on his skin as he passed the front doors, evidence of walking through a rather strong barrier. It was expected, of course, seeing as the Hakuba's were a family of hunters even if their day-time lives were detectives and police officers. Maybe that was what made them so good at being the good cops, having the ability to spot so-called 'evil doers' out in the street by aura alone. Kaito checked his amulet, making sure he was projecting a mischievous human aura instead of whatever was lingering in his genes. Just to be on the safe side, he took a pill to suppress his pheromone to stop anyone from noticing.

"By the way," Kaito asked, eyes roaming about as he admired the decoration consisting of fake spider webs and a healthy dose of armoured knights along the corridors, "do I get any treats?"

There was a hint of fondness in her eyes as she reached into the Jack-'o-Lantern and pulled out a wrapped toffee. "Here." She handed it over. Kaito knew at first glance these were homemade instead of the store bought ones.

"Thank you." He beamed, unwrapping the candy with great care. The wrapper was kept in the palm of his left hand. His right closed the palms together, held for three seconds, before he lifted his right hand away. The wrapper was no longer present, in its place was an origami spider.

"I'll give you points for festivity." She picked up the spider and placed it onto a nearby fake web. "You better hurry your steps."

Hurrying past the somewhat spooky corridor, Kaito was confronted with a set of heavy double doors engraved with two rearing horses on its panelling. He pushed open the doors, readying for a dramatic entrance.

"Happy Halloween!" He shouted, letting out a rain of confetti into the room. Many of their classmates hurray-ed and hurrah-ed, squealing as orange and black confetti burned into ash as it drifted down. Many tries to evade the ash, thinking there was still lingering heat.

"If you will, please do not set the house on fire." Hakuba approached, wearing a set of wizards robe complete with a pointy, starry, velvet cone-shaped hat. He probably knew it was useless to tell Kaito to stop his magical acts hence telling him to restrain himself in his performance.

"Why Hakuba! What a surprise! You're not dressed as Holmes?" He joked, ribbing the blond detective in the process.

"And? What are you supposed to be?" Hakuba eyed Kaito carefully. If he was anyone else, Kaito would have hit Hakuba in the head for the the leering. However, Kaito being someone who has very little qualms in the invasion of personal space, only finds Hakuba's action as slightly amusing.

"Can't you guess? Take a _stab_." Kaito could not resist the urge to taunt, knowing very well the blond detective wanted to go through with the literal meaning of the suggestion.

"Are you trying to be a demon?" Aoko approached them, dressed in a small black tattered dress, wide brim pointy hat and a scrawny looking broom held loosely in her hands.

"You're right." Kaito acknowledge the girl with a wink. "Though you're not completely correct. I'm a type of demon." He spun around, making sure to keep his tail and wings stiff so that it looked fake rather than actually attached to his body. After his twirl, he draped himself over Aoko, taking a more intimate position as he tries to sniff at her neck, earning him an annoyed glare from Hakuba whom he was sure to have feelings towards the girl.

"Well~?" He purred with his head resting on Aoko's shoulders. She was shorter than him so he had to bend over just slight to lean comfortably. He felt her stiffen before relaxing, hands itching to swing the broom in his direction.

"N-not a cl-clue." She stuttered out, hoping to lean away from Kaito at the same time. He spared her and stood back upright, elegantly sauntering to pose in front of her.

"I'm a Succubus! Don't I look the part?" He deliberately got the species wrong, wanting to put confusion in the girl and to stop Hakuba from scrutinizing him, and his supposed _costume_ too much.

"You mean an Incubi. Succubus are female. Incubi is the male equivalent." Hakuba pointed out, his eyes were still trained onto his non-human appendages. Kaito had to wonder if he unconsciously moved them at one point.

"Whatever Hakuba. I'm not a demonologist like you." He waved a hand, acting as though he did not care a single bit. "What I'm more interested in is why you chose to be a wizard. Perhaps to complement a certain witch?" He eyed between the pair, to which Aoko immediately blushed.

"What?! BaKaito!" Swiftly, the broom was raised up in the air, prepared to strike down on its _innocent_ victim.

"Why Aoko, you even matched your panties." He flipped the girl's dress to expose her undergarments. "Green and black stripes, my my. How wicked."

Aoko promptly swung her broom downwards, Kaito jumping back to barely avoid the hit.

"COME BACK HERE!" She shouted from the top of her lungs. The pair danced around the large hall area, with Kaito greeting many of their classmates as he passed. The males in the room spurred him on, encouraging him by throwing bits of candy as an energy boost. On the other hand, the females were trying their best to be in his escape path, moving only a split second before Kaito arrives. He narrowly avoided many collision, borne from the skills he earned during heist escapes.

As the ruckus continued inside the hall, a lone female slowly ambled up the sidewalk towards the Hakuba mansion. She had taken her share of energy for the night, not that she needed the extra supplements as she does have a rather large following of men at her heel during the morning. This little bit extra boosted her magical levels very slightly, but enough for her to detect the change in the air. The vibration in the air was raising the hairs of her neck, making her blood boil and cool at the same time. She might not have smelled anything, but if she was anything other than a human (despite being a Red Mage), she would have definitely found the smell to be tangy and rusty. It was clear _something_ was in the neighbourhood, something that once used to be the Red Mage's enemy.

She halted in her steps, a handful of meters away from the Hakuba estate. If worst comes to worst, she could always cause enough noise to catch the attention of the hunters residing in the overly large mansion.

Her eyes scanned the streets, hoping to catch the slightest bit of movement. Just as she was going to brush everything off as paranoia, her ears catches the slightest tapping sound of foot and the rustling of something settling. She focused her eyes into the distance, where she saw something akin to a black shadow growing larger by the second. Taking a step back in preparation for an escape, she waited for whatever it was to come. Although it would have been better to just escape right at this moment, she was partially cautious of the probability that whatever it was that is coming might attack the people in the Hakuba estate, not that those hunters would let this creature go very far.

When the black shadow came close enough for Akako to feel the distinct signature of the aura, she immediately knew what it was that was approaching and stretched out her arm. She muttered choice words underneath her breath, words that no normal human being could pronounce let alone understand, and a spark of light appeared at her outstretched palm for a split second before launching itself in the direction of the black shadow. She cursed out loud when the shadow jumped out of the way. The spark became stationary where the black shadow used to stand and began glowing brighter and larger until it flashed red and disappeared altogether. There was a hiss somewhere in front of her, towards the left, where she assumed the black shadowed was now hiding between the trees and hedges. She carefully ran through the types of spells she had at her disposal, filtering out ones that could cause too much damage to the surroundings, and narrowed down to 2 spells that could be rather deadly for a vampire. However, both of these spells require time for incantation and preparation, not something she could do if the vampire chose to attack her.

"Wait!" A male voice shouted from the direction of the black shadows. "Stop!" The shadow was slow to step out from his hiding spot. Though Akako could see very clearly both hands were held up above his head in a form of surrender.

"Show yourself Vampire, before I singe you to crisp." She conjured up a small ball of fire in the palm of her hands, alongside of various floating flames surrounding her.

"I do not mean to startle you." The vampire slowly stepped towards Akako and she realised who it was. His face was plastered everywhere these days, from newspaper to tabloids, morning talk shows to the evening news. She could not believe her eyes and senses as the person in front of her, the saviour of innocents, Modern Day Holmes, was in fact a vampire.

"Kudo...Shinichi…?" She asked hesitantly, hands lowering as the flames flickered before extinguishing itself.

"Yes." He finally stepped fully underneath the street lamp, the fluorescent glow casting a rather ethereal aura about the detective, more potent than the iron tang in the air.

Akako sighed in relief. "So? What's a detective like yourself doing here?" She decided to ignore the vampire aspect for the moment, having a feeling that it was a tender subject to be touched upon at the moment.

"I'm here to pick someone up, but I really don't think it is wise to enter the place. If you could, can you do me a favour?" He looked at the brightly lit mansion just behind her. "Can you help me call someone out?"

"You're not planning anything are you?" She was suspicious. Why would a vampire want a specific person unless…"You're not going to _use_ this person are you?"

"No!" He sounded surprised and astounded at the suggestion. He took a moment to recompose himself, straightening his clothing. "I don't have any particular designs on him. Just... I don't think it would be wise for me to enter in such a state."

Akako looked at him long and hard, trying to determine the truth from the words. Though knowing the detective, he is speaking of the truth. Still it did not make dealing with the vampire nerve wracking.

"Tell me, what do I gain for this _favour_ of yours?" She was merely curious at this point.

"You're a Red Mage," he stated, obviously apt at reading auras and magical signature, another rarity in vampires. Though if Akako had to be honest, his existence itself is a rarity. "I know how much your type values magical ingredients and I would be willing to offer you a vial of my blood for your spellwork and whatnots."

"Are you crazy?!" Akako exclaimed. She knows how many Red Mages would love to have their hands on the near extinct vampire blood, and by the looks of it it seems the detective is a pure blooded vampire instead of a dhampir. However, vampire blood is not only potent but extremely volatile and if consumed, highly addictive. It was for this reason that Akako refuses to deal with such things.

"I'm not. It's a valuable resource for you. I heard they make a rather potent aphrodisiac." He comments them like it was the weather. It was another indication to how far his knowledge extends. It seems endless to Akako, how a single vampire knows so much about the magic. "Or you can probably use my blood for hexing and cursing. Of course, that depends on your specialty."

"You must be out of your mind to suggest such things." She shook her head. "However, I am not so crass to take such things off you. Unlike my brethrens, I rarely _use_ living ingredients for my work. I have enough power myself to make whatever hex, curse, and potion to be potent for _anyone_." Of course, there are exception such as one very annoying Incubi that managed to escape her powers. Then again, maybe it was because he was an Incubi that he had managed to not be affected by her allure spells.

"Then what would you propose Red Mage? I know it would be too much to ask for you to do me a favour, even though you are heading there yourself, for free."

She considered what would be beneficial. If word leaked out, or if the vampire before her let a certain Incubi know about the attack, she could bet her powers that said Incubi would want revenge. "Let us forget the incident then, of how I nearly harmed you, and I'll go fetch the person in question."

He nodded, possibly thinking he was let of easily. Never would he know how Akako feared the Incubi's wrath.

"I assume you want me to fetch Kuroba-kun then?" She asked, managing to startle the vampire detective, who widened his eyes. "You don't have to be so shocked."

"How did you know?" Curiosity seems to be a common trait between the vampire in front of her and the Incubi that was his partner.

"I saw you a few moments ago. Or did you not remember? Though I find it surprising you can sense me as a Red Mage and not recognise my life signature." The vampire knew too much to not have picked up the signature.

He scratched his cheeks in embarrassment, another habit he must have picked up from the Incubus. "I couldn't be certain."

"Well? Do you agree to the terms then?" She had to formalise the exchange, after all it was a favour and she could never know if either of their words have been laced with magic. She had been casting spells not a moment ago and it was likely remnants of magic was still contained in her words.

"I think you let me off easy but alright. Consider it accepted." And just like that, Akako saw a sudden flare of aura between them. Like she thought, their words had contain magic and things would have ended badly if he had not vocalize the agreement.

"Stay here, I don't think you should approach too close to the Estate, just in case the Hakubas like to extend their wards." She warned, knowing how a certain Hakuba was notorious in his methods of tracking and hunting. After all, said hunter is still hot on the tail of the Phantom Thief.

 **-TBC-**


	4. In Sickness and in Health

**-All Hallow's Eve-**

Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

Warning: KaiShin relationship. AU-ish.

A/N: This is not dead. If I can, I'll try and have all the chapters up by October. (Try being the keyword so don't hold me ransom for it ok?) Also, if you spot anything strange, do leave me a message, I didn't have time to proofread it again lately (I've checked it over before, a long time ago).

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 **04: In Sickness and in Health**

It has been several weeks since the party and Akako watched Kuroba carefully, looking for signs of fatigue, of weakness, or of overall unhealthiness. So far, nothing was out of the ordinary, with pranks abundant and laughter (or shouts in some cases). Though she did catch how the magician would regularly look out the window, as though in search of _something_. Every so often, during lunch, the magician would disappear and no one would know where he was. At those times, the magician came back looking giddy half the time, and looking stressed the other.

Akako could guess what happened during those moments. Most likely the magician went off in search for his mate. Though Akako was not the type to get in the way of such partnerships, even if she thought it was a bad idea to begin with.

First off, the partner is a vampire, detested by nearly the whole of the magical community and feared by the humans. Already, they were off to a bad start.

Second, vampires are notorious for their thirst of blood. Even if Kudo Shinichi is someone who abhorred murderous acts and harming of others, something that came up in her search for information about the being and detective known as 'Kudo Shinichi', there is still no guarantee that he would not harm the magician.

Third, and likely the most important reason of all, nothing could result from this partnership. Although it is not uncommon for an incubus to find a mate in the same gender, and result in offspring because of the incubus' physiology that allows them to carry a child, inter-species mating would not result in anything. And a partnership without a child never lasts in the magical community because of their whimsical nature. Hence magical beings often take temporary partners to bed, satisfying the sudden bouts of lusts, before searching for someone they can remain for the rest of their lives with the same species. This, of course, is different for halflings, whose blood contains two species. But still, they stick with the same species they have blood relations from.

Wanting to ensure the magician was not making some horrible mistake of his lust for something deeper, she lured Kuroba to the roof one day after class to have a serious talk.

"What is it you want Koizumi?" He looked impatiently at his watch, "I don't have all day."

"It's about Kudo Shinichi." She stated, giving the magician her full attention. Immediately, the name made Kuroba tense, as though he was expecting the worst coming from her mouth.

"Well? Out with it." Even if his words were careless, there lies a decent amount of tension behind his tone.

"It's nothing dangerous for him. Only that I wish to warn you." She wondered if she should say anything about a vampire-related bounty she managed to hear of recently. Though she suspects the magician knew about it already by the looks of his dark face.

"You're talking about the vampire bounty correct? The one where some idiot placed an insurmountable amount on _any_ vampire caught. The one that wanted a delivery of vampire blood and flesh, in pieces, alongside the eye." The tone of hatred dripped from his every word. Though there was also enough fear behind the words. "Why would someone want them? Is it a Red Mage who asked for such _ingredients_?" He sneered at the final phrase.

"I personally don't know the person who asked for the bounty." She replied honestly. It was true that a Mage requested for this. But whether or not it was a Red Mage, she was still investigating. After all, it would not do to break the truce they currently have with the vampires. She remembered the condition between the rest of the magical community and the vampires are that the latter should never take more than what is needed, never to take the life of the 'donor' and to ensure safety of the 'donor' when they feed. In return the magical community would not actively hunt for them. And whoever put this bounty out is shaking things up, even if the bounty was put on the black market.

"Then you _do_ know who it is." He approached her menacingly, his incisors seemingly having elongated, nails grew, and Akako saw a flickering of tail and wing even if it looked transparent. If the magician was showing his _otherworldly traits_ , it only meant his control of his powers are wavering and that spells disaster for Akako.

"Not particularly. I only know of the origin of the rumour. It started downtown at a shady pub. Passed onto interested individuals by the bartender. From their accounts, the message was left through a magical parchment on the counter along with a blank cheque." She had tried to magically follow the trail left behind by the individual but with so much foot traffic, it was near impossible to discern the signature, even with Lucifer's help. "Though I have identified the bar to be one frequented by Mages of all sorts, so not only Red Mages."

"Give me the address." He snarled.

She took out her phone and sent him the address, along with a short list of frequent visitors of the bar. She doubted any of those names were the ones who put forth the bounty but they might know something and Akako knew the magician has _methods_ to encourage people to talk.

"However, that isn't the reason I called you up here." It immediately drew the magician's attention away from his phone's screen towards her face. "This...partnership you have with Kudo Shinichi. It is not wise."

"Oh?" He quirked an eyebrow, daring Akako to continue. She took a moment to prepare herself. Even though she knew he would not actively use her as a practice target, that particular role goes to the English detective, he would make her collateral if he does not like the next few words that comes out of her mouth.

"This is not against you nor Kudo Shinichi, only that from personal observations, such a _union_ between two different species never last. Especially since both of your species are more of the instantaneous satisfaction type."

"You should know that I'm no _normal_ being by now Koizumi." Thankfully, the magician was only amused and not anything else. "Even by my colouring, and from what I've revealed to you during Halloween, you should have guessed."

Achromic Succubi were actually unheard of and she had to wonder what had caused such a mutation.

"You know, maybe I've overestimated you." He shook his head. He made no further indications to elaborate what he meant, rather, he jumped topics. "However, I know that inter-species union can work. And both of us will make it work." His grin was full of confidence before waving goodbye, leaving Akako standing alone with the chilly wind as her company. She did not know why but a shiver originated from within her and had nothing to do with the wind. But something told her he was hiding a particularly juicy, and dangerous, secret.

Descending down the staircase, Kaito frowned at the Mage's nosiness. Although he must give her thanks for the information about the bounty, it was not her business to meddle in his love life. He glanced once more at the screen, maybe he should call Shinichi just in case, to make sure he was safe. His vampire had lucked out so far that there has not yet been an attack on his being, especially since those eyes are literally to die for. But it does not mean it would not happen.

He had Shinichi as speed dial and in no time, the dialing tone echoed in the phone.

" _Hello?_ " There was sense of tiredness coming from the speakers. Kaito frowned, wondering if his vampire had even slept recently. There was roughness in the voice as well as an overall quietness from beyond the speaker, sounding nothing like a school setting.

"Love? Are you at home?" He frowned harder, glancing at his wristwatch and mentally calculating the quickest path between Ekoda high and Beika.

A loud sniffle and cough came from the other side as a form of reply.

"You're sick aren't you? Did you have Ai-chan look you over?" While vampires rarely become sick, Shinichi was rather prone to any form of respiratory illness. It made Kaito wonder whether it was because of the poison that is supposedly still residing within his body or because of the lack of a certain sustenance that keeps the vampiric traits functioning.

" _She came by this morning,_ " another series of rather worrying cough cut his words.

"I'm coming over. Stay in bed." He walked quickly towards the lockers, not bothering to go back into the classroom to pick up his bag. His quickest route would be by flight and a nifty spell would camouflage him enough even in the middle of the afternoon. He trusts Aoko will pick up his back and bring it back to her place or he could always come back into school in the middle of the night to pick up the bag.

" _You'll miss school._ " Shinichi's voice sounded harsher than a few seconds ago and Kaito became very afraid. Whatever this illness was, it was coming in quick.

"Doesn't matter. You're not at your best now and I feel it is within my responsibility as your mate to make sure you're well looked after." Kaito easily slipped out of the school and headed towards a darkened alleyway. Spells can only do so much to deceive the senses and no spell in the world could mask him changing in the middle of the road.

" _You-..._ " Another string of cough and Kaito could not help but wince.

"Stay put, don't talk so much." With a flap of his wing, Kaito was airborne. "Have you eaten anything yet?"

" _A bit of bread. I…_ " There was the sound of rustling and Kaito heard the phone drop. He became more frantic.

"Shinichi? Love? Answer me!" Holding his phone as though it was a lifeline, Kaito pushed himself through the air, flying as fast as his wings could take him. All the while, he shouted at the phone, hoping to receive a reply. "Shinichi! Talk to me!"

It might have been an eternity, it might have only been several minutes, but when Shinichi's voice came back through the speaker, it sounded a lot softer than before.

" _I'm fine_." He said in a near whisper. " _I just needed the bathroom._ "

Kaito sighed in relief, there was still someways until he was inside the Beika district and from then, it would have been a rather short flight towards the Kudo mansion.

"You still haven't answered my question. Have you _eaten_?" And by which, he actually meant fed from a live source but Kaito could already predict how that particular conversation can go. Instead, it might have been better just asking whether his wayward vampire had partaken in any blood lately, regardless of how and where the blood came from as long as it had once been living.

"... _no…_ " Not only was there hesitance, but there was a good amount of guilt.

"Shinichi…" Kaito's flight slowed ever so slightly. "It's unhealthy."

" _Haibara's working on something that can...stabilize me_."

"Doesn't matter right now. You've obviously been starving yourself because of this possible _something_." Kaito could not help but growl out. He was frustrated at how insistent his detective was unwilling to partake in something that was so obviously necessary for his survival. Heck, even though Kaito hated his own feeding methods, he still went along with it because he wanted to stay alive for his detective.

" _Kaito, you know how I feel about this. And I do have supplies in the kitchen to tide me over until Haibara's worked out the kinks._ " Kaito never thought it was possible for his detective's voice to sound so small and soft, evidence that the illness was not only worsening and spreading, but also sapping his detective's strength. He mentally calculated a new route, one that would pass through a particular building that he heard about from Shinichi, one that housed a demon that was willing to help out a vampire, and more importantly, one that has whatever he was looking for.

"You better not move from your bed and keep those blinds closed! I can sneak in without your help." Kaito could just imagine his detective leaving the bed, stumbling across the room to unlock the window, and burning himself with the harsh afternoon sun in the process. Normally, he would not have worried about a little bit of sun on his detective, however with the lower immunity, there was no telling what the sun would do to his detective and Kaito did not wish to see a pile of ash on the floor instead of his snarky mate.

The moment of silence between them made Kaito's brow twitch. It was obvious from the lack of conversation that his detective was in the process of opening windows and whatnots.

"Shinichi." Kaito reprimanded as he landed softly on the concrete roof. "I'll be over soon." He added fondly, "maybe it really is just a flu virus and you'll become better with a bit of sleep." He tried to project his smile through the phone.

" _Alright Kaito. I'll stay in bed._ " There were no arguments after the declaration, which made Kaito all the more worried. It was unlike his detective not to rebuttal him. It meant that Shinichi was feeling too ill, too weak to do anything but complied to his demands.

Bidding his detective a fond farewell through the phone, Kaito peered through the skyroof to check for some form of presence inside the room. He was not sure whether he was in luck or whether Lady Luck had her head turned away, but not a single soul was present. Lifting up the glass window, he hopped down into the room, landing softly on his feet. But before he could make a quick survey of the room, or even have a quick peek at the computer on the desk, the door opened slowly with a soft squeak.

Kaito tensed up, fingers already palming twin sleeping and smoke pallets ready to be thrown in the door's direction.

"Ah, I've been expecting you." Came a rather posh voice followed by distinct footsteps. A middle-aged man with dark brown hair and bright eyes stepped into the room with a folder in hand. "I was held up at a meeting, not that I didn't foresee it, just that I hadn't expected the person to be so persistent." He joked, circling around his desk and taking a seat on the plush leather chair. "Come now, take a seat. I know you're in a hurry but it does take a bit of time for me to search through the database."

"You...know what I'm here for?" Hesitantly, Kaito took to the visitor's chair, gently setting himself down on the hard surface as he waited for an answer.

"Hm…?" The man's attention was drawn onto the computer screen. It took a moment for him to respond to Kaito's question. "Of course I know. What do you take me for?"

"And you know who...what I am?"

"Hard not to. You've made it difficult to avert my attention." The knowing smile on the man's face is irking Kaito. He hated not knowing and this man is making it difficult to reign in his pranking desire.

"So? Are you going to tell me anything?"

"In due time. But first thing's first, how bad is it?" The man rummaged through his top drawer, pulling out a set of keys. "Talk as we walk. No one would mind."

It was strange to see there were so few people around, though Kaito figured it was because it was lunch time and most, if not all, of the staff are out.

"Not sure how much to say. Only..." Kaito stared at the man's face, internally debating how much to tell him.

"Why don't I start off then?" He stopped by a rather large stainless steel fridge door, pausing as he insert the key into the lock. "You're worried about Kudo-kun." He stated, "you've just heard from him and he is currently in a bad state. Possibly because he's been neglecting himself again. And you're very much afraid that the moment you take your eyes off him, he would disintegrate into nothingness." The man reached into the fridge and took several packets out, handing it over to Kaito.

It was clear from the rust-like colour and the coolness of touch that the object in his hands was in fact a blood pack. Though his keen sense of smell also tipped him off on the content.

"How fresh are these?" Kaito could not help but ask.

"Just this morning, and it's better since it hasn't been processed yet." He turned around to another fridge, pulling out several others as he spoke, "if you can, force Kudo-kun to take all three packs seeing as it does go off in twenty-four hours. It'll also help with his weakening state as well. These ones, he can probably keep in that freezer of his for a few more days. Good thing there hasn't been a major accident and that we're piling up more than we're lacking. Otherwise I'd have to resort to other means to get you these."

Kaito had been thinking along the same lines as well. Perhaps it goes against his morals, perhaps it would anger his detective, but Kaito would do anything to keep his beloved healthy and with him, even if it meant going against every fibre of his being.

"Do you need a bag for it?" The man startled Kaito out of his contemplation. It took a while for Kaito's mind to come back to the present but he nodded. There was no chance that he would be flying out of here with bags of blood in his hands.

"Regardless, that boy really needs someone to make sure he stays alive. Or as alive as a vampire could be. Technically, they are a family of undead creatures." The man joked, pulling out a woven bag out of seemingly no where. "He's putting too much into keeping everyone safe and constantly neglects his own health. Although I respect his effort in preserving life, but this is just taking it too far. Even his parents had more sense than the boy and I've met the family."

"It may seem rude but who _are_ you? How well do you know Shinichi?" Kaito's brow twitched at the seemingly intimate comments.

"Rather jealous and possessive aren't you?" The man patted Kaito on the shoulders as he helped pack the little plastic packets into an orderly manner inside the bag. "Don't worry, I'm not one to steal him from you, especially since you laid claim to him _and_ the fact that it's hard to take something away from a master thief."

Kaito felt too exposed and somehow he knew it would be impossible to lie his way through and deny his identity. Instead of reacting defensively, he took offense and pulled out his cardgun. It was strange for him to react as such but with everything piling up, it was really too stressful for Kaito's nerves to act logically.

The man laughed, the type of gwaffing laugh and sounded too happy and excited.

"Now that's what I'm talking about."

"You're not the one to put a bounty on vampires are you." Kaito stated, pressing the muzzle of the card gun closer to the man's temple. His finger twitched at the trigger, hoping for a chance to pull it and end the man's misery.

"Now you wouldn't want to do that. Especially since this is a life that Kudo-kun saved." The man nudged the muzzle away with a fingertip before returning to packing the bag. "We have a _history_ and I do find Kudo-kun to be rather... _adorable_ shall we say?"

It seems the man loved to tease, possibly finding it entertaining. But it still did not answer Kaito's questions, though he did learn that at some point, Shinichi saved the man which means his detective must have met him at a crime scene.

"Oh, if only I could take a photo and send it to Kudo-kun. He'd love to see you so jealous no doubt. It would definitely lift his spirit." More laughing ensued as he handed the bag back to Kaito. "But as to answer your question, I owe Kudo-kun my life and I will do everything in my power to keep him walking on this Earth. As for the bounty? This is the first I've heard about it." There was a sense of chill suddenly permeating through the empty room. Even though Kaito knew the place was perpetually cooled, that the air conditioning is continuously on full blast, the chill he was sensing went deeper than skin and bone. "Tell me, who is so obnoxious enough to try and harm someone under my protection."

With the wording of things, Kaito felt that this man was not someone to be trifled with. So instead of further threats, Kaito eased off the gun and replaced it back into its hiding place. He graciously took the bag from the outstretched hands and put a bit of distance between them.

"First time I heard, someone wanted vampire _parts_. Just moments ago, I heard that the bounty was most likely placed by a Mage." Kaito decided if the man owed his detective a life-debt it was unlikely the man would betray Shinichi. It was likely that the man had contacts and could find out more about the situation.

"Parts you say?" The air around them turned frigid, the eyes of the man flashed and Kaito swore he saw a change of colour in one eye for a split second. "It seems like someone out there is being quite _disrespectful_. Do they even know who they are messing with?"

"I doubt it was a personal hit on Shinichi."

"Regardless, it seems it is high time for me to assert my authority here." The man walked them back to the office, the air between them suddenly becoming warm once more. Kaito wondered if he imagined everything or if the change in temperature was a result of the man's flaring magic. It would not be the first time something like this had happened. His detective could sometimes affect the environment, making the air still just by being in the room when he was annoyed. "Now, you better head back to Kudo-kun. Who knows what idiotic things he would do in your absence."

Kaito knew a dismissal when he hears one and nodded before jumping up the skyroof and spreading his wings. A small mutter underneath his breath refreshed the spell he cast over himself that allows him to fly in the mid-afternoon sun without anyone noticing. The bags were heavy underneath his hand and it took slightly longer than usual to fly to the large mansion of the Kudo family.

 **-TBC-**


	5. Dead Men Tell No Lies

**-All Hallow's Eve-**

Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

Warning: KaiShin relationship. AU-ish.

A/N: If only my herd of plot bunnies would stop reproducing! I have too many half-baked ideas (the bunnies are still quite infantile).

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 **05: Dead Men Tell No Lies**

Shinichi disliked having people fuss over him, but he had no choice this time. When he woke up this morning, he felt as though his body was both melting and freezing at the same time. He could barely muster up the energy to leave his bed. Then there was the constant pounding in his head and the rushing noise in his ear along with becoming too sensitive to every single one of his senses. He could smell what Haibara was preparing for breakfast next door, the bedding underneath his finger felt too rough and coarse making him itch at the fingertips. When he dared to open his eyes, he realised he saw too much with the variety of visible and non-visible colours reflecting off the various surfaces inside his room. However, the most irritating and disconcerting of all his sense was his taste, he could identify _everything_ in the air when he opened his mouth to gulp down the much needed air in order to center himself.

He tries to calm himself, knowing what was happening and the reason behind it. He took in a deep breath, managing to pick out all the different tastes in the air. There was the saltiness of sweat, the cleanliness of grass, and unfortunately two other more noticeable and recognisable taste that stirred his instincts; a rather musky earth-like taste left over from the time Kaito came around and a familiar tang that plagued his everyday life. Pushing down the urge, he closed his eyes and hoped he could somehow retain his sanity. Each breath felt like a torture as it felt more like he was inhaling needles rather than gas.

He reached over to his bedside, hands fumbling to feel the hard surface of his phone. When he managed to take hold of the object, he tries to send off a message to Ran, stating he was not feeling too well and asking her not to wait up. None too soon her reply came, stating she would visit him after school. Shinichi pondered whether he should call Haibara, just in case this was caused by the APTX. He knew his system had been compromised ever since the poisoning, even more so than before at least. His refusal to partake in human blood only worsened his condition.

Knowing that it would not be much different, he fired off another text to the scientist next door before dropping the phone back in its original position. Immediately, he felt his insides churning and rebelling and he could not help but stumble away from the comfort of the bed to head towards the bathroom. He dry heaved into the porcelain bowl, feeling the burn in his throat as it tries to upend something. Once the feeling was gone, he sank into the cool tiles, hoping for a bit of respite before the next wave of discomfort. This was not the first time experiencing such symptoms though the onset was more rapid than before.

"Too soon." He muttered, head resting on a nearby wall. "I should have more time in between." Shinichi clenched his hands, elongated nails digging into his palm. His features had revealed themselves without his conscious decision, incisors piercing through his lower lips, back itching and feeling all too cramp. His eyes practically stung from just seeing his surroundings, not used to all the light.

Briefly, he heard the phone vibrate in the distance. A soft buzzing sound that no human would pick up but Shinichi managed to hear it nonetheless. Instead of walking back, he crawled along the floor, sticking to the shadows and edging along the walls in hopes of using the surface as support and to hide away from the stinging light that seems to be prickling at his exposed skin. He coughed again when he reached the edge of his bed, a chest wrecking cough that had him hugging the floor. It felt like he was melting, a sensation similar to after ingesting the APTX but only much worst and intense. His lungs felt as though someone took it in their hands and squeezed every drop of oxygen before filling it up with water. Shinichi could practically feel tears building up behind his eyelids, each drop burning his eye like acid. He heaved a large breath, bracing himself as he struggles to climb back up onto the bed.

By the time he settled back down underneath the covers, he felt himself sweating in buckets and would have dearly loved to shower. Unfortunately, his strength seems to be non-existent at the moment and the only thing he could do was lie down onto the pillow and hoped that the symptoms would die down a bit.

He could not be sure whether he fell asleep or if the continuous pain in his head knocked him out but the next time his consciousness returned, Haibara was standing by his bedside.

"You're an idiot Kudo-kun." Her face was marred with worry and annoyance, mostly worry which made Shinichi guilty. He tries to speak only to cough violently instead. She sighed, resting her small hand on his chest. "I took a bit of your blood to check for virus. Nothing came up. It wouldn't be something a pill could fix."

"It's fine." He whispered softly, he had expected as much. After all, this was no ordinary illness but a deficiency in his system. Normal human doctors would declare him having a weak respiratory system when in fact it was his non-human side acting up.

"Is there anything I can do?" It seems that seeing Shinichi lying on the bed, most likely as though death had warmed over his body, plagued on her guilt as she shifted nervously.

"Not really. It's...not something natural." He reached out to try and pat her head in a somewhat familial manner. In any other situation, she would have scowled but with how Shinichi looked at the moment, she only looked surprised. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Your message didn't make any sense, I...we were concerned. The Professor and I." It was evident that she was the one who had been worried but only brought up the professor to hide her true feelings.

"Thanks." He closed his eyes once more, trying to take short shallow breaths instead of nice calming gulps of air. Having Haibara here in the room with him, at this moment in time, is dangerous. "You needn't to come."

"You…" Perhaps she was coming to some form of realisation, or perhaps there was something in Shinichi's mannerism, even though he was barely moving, but her mid-sentence was again very telling to her thoughts. The term 'idiot' certainly springs to mind. "Anyways, I'm staying in the lab today to see if I can have a breakthrough on that formula I was telling you about. There's a few kinks that needs to be solved but I should have something, or I will have something, before the end of the month."

"Don't sacrifice your health for it though." Shinichi had to insist with an extremely soft voice. After a long moment of silence, where Haibara was already making her exit after leaving an emergency calling device, courtesy of the Professor, at arm's reach, Shinichi added hastily. "It shouldn't take precedence."

Haibara pretended not to have heard, merely closing the door quietly. But Shinichi could hear her soft whispers of "No, but you should" beyond the door.

Shinichi tries to settle down once more, though the irritation in his throat only worsened as time passes. He tries leaning back against the headboard, to stem the reaction, only to bring about severe vertigo and nausea. He heaved over the edge of his bed, thankfully nothing spewed out of his mouth. He could feel his throat burn and gums ache, desperately craving for something to soothe the discomfort. He knew what his body needed but it was not something that he wanted. Thankfully, his phone vibrated again to distract him from his body's symptoms.

Taking the phone up once more, he peered at the overly bright screen. It showed the bright text of 'ME' as caller id with a photo of a snowy white cat being held up to the camera by someone's hands. Shinichi let himself smile softly as he connected the call. The melodious voice from Kaito managed to soothe away a tiny amount of irritation.

It pained him to lie to Kaito about his current condition, seeing as he could barely leave the bed. Though when that soft melodious voice asked him whether he had eaten, Shinichi could not bring himself to say no, hence the little lie. With all the coughing, and the occasional sniffle now and then because the air around him was actually bothering him as well with all the different smells and dust and whatnots, he could not bare to actually voice to his mate his actual state, that his body was craving and demanding for things that Shinichi would rather go without.

Shinichi was forced to pull away from the phone when his coughs became extremely bad, to the point that he was actually coughing up his own valuable blood. This was definitely something new and he frowned at the sign. He took a tissue to wipe at his hands and throwing it across the room towards the bin. Unfortunately it only hit the rim and tumbled back onto the floor, hidden in the shadows and out of sight. Kaito promptly asked about Shinichi's sudden silence, to which he merely replied with another lie that he was in the bathroom to avoid unnecessary worry. He hated himself for piling up all these lies.

When Kaito brought up the issue of sunlight, Shinichi glanced over at his curtains. No wonder his eyes and body hurt, there was just that small sliver of light coming in through the heavy drapes. He slowly crawled out of his cocoon of bedding to reach to the material. Unfortunately his hands slipped slightly and pulled the curtains apart instead. He was instantly blinded by the intensity of the sunlight, eyes watering has he fumbled for the edge of the curtain to pull it close. His skin prickled at the sudden warmth and he briefly wondered if he burnt himself. Normally, if he was in a healthy condition, sunlight was not poisonous. Now, with his system compromised, sunlight and all those myths about the vampire race meant a near-instant death for him.

He ended the call with a promise to stay in bed, not that he could actually move much anyways. Though he had shifted slightly to accommodate for his wings which had ripped through his pajamas during his last bout of coughing. The extra appendage laid listlessly, dragging Shinichi down with its weight. He had no choice but to curl up on the bed, hoping that everything would either pass or he would have eternal peace even though it saddened him that he must leave his mate alone.

 **-TBC-**


	6. Playful Nature of Immoral Beings

**-All Hallow's Eve-**

Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

Warning: KaiShin relationship. AU-ish.

A/N: Shinichi really isn't vampire material is he?

* * *

 **06: Playful Nature of Immoral Beings**

Kaito landed in the backyard of the Kudo household without the usual grace he employed for his nighttime persona. He was in a hurry and things such as grace and decorum matters very little without an audience. What matters is his lovely darling detective who seemed to be too stubborn and weak at the moment. Picking the lock to the back door, he entered the domain with a softly muttered "Ojamashimasu" and changed into some household slippers that had been deliberately left in a nearby cupboard because his detective knew Kaito rarely used the front doors and such preparations were necessary.

The house was too quiet, too silent, and too oppressive. At the same time, the room felt too tense and suffocating, as though the air was thick and made breathing difficult. Kaito frowned, allowing his senses to expand as he surveyed the area for signs of danger. There was nothing out of the ordinary, with the kitchen in pristine condition and dust mites floating about. A glass sat on the sink counter, upturned to drain away the liquid, a stool just slightly moved from the island in the middle as though someone had hastily pushed it away. Moving on padded feet, Kaito headed towards the staircase at the center of the building. He glanced over at the landline phone, noticing a small red light blinking in the machine. Peering at the LCD display, it read 'Private Number' with the timestamp sometime in the morning. Kaito frowned, knowing that his detective rarely leave a message unheard. The timestamp indicated it was early morning when the call came through, something that Shinichi would have listened to if he had indeed came down for a bite to eat as indicated in their previous conversation.

Frowning, he headed up the stairs with the previously washed cup and the woven bag of sustenance for his vampiric detective. Kaito knew Shinichi hated drinking straight out of the bag and would rather take the civil route of using a cup. Though in Kaito's mind it seemed a bit strange.

"At least he did not demand the liquid to be stored in a bottle or something." He remembered watching some age-old B-grade horror film showing the typical well-dressed vampire lord sitting in the middle of an overly large dining room with a bottle of what seems to be red wine and a glass of red liquid. He tries to picture Shinichi in such a setting only managing to hold back the blush at imagining the detective in a suit. The vampire detective always looked rather attractive in formal suits.

Knocking on the door politely, he waited for Shinichi to reply. Not that he was expecting anything more than a whisper going by how softly his detective had sound over the phone.

There were faint shuffling sounds, which Kaito took as a signal to enter. The darkness of the room did not bother Kaito one bit. In fact, it pleased him to see his detective following through his advice. Glancing over at the heavy curtains, he saw a soft swaying of the fabric.

"I thought I said there's no need for you to open the windows for me." He stepped quietly into the room and approached the lump in the middle of the bed. Carefully, he laid a hand on the mound of fabric. The blankets curled up on itself, pulling into a smaller lump. If Kaito concentrated, he could just feel Shinichi underneath the material.

It took a long time for Shinichi to peek from beneath the sheets, eyes opening just a sliver. Kaito gasped. He could clearly see the bloodshot eyes in such a dim lighting. He sat on the edge of the bed, hand reaching out to check for temperature only for Shinichi to recoil before he even touched any skin.

"Love, do you think you can sit up?" He tries not to show his hurt when Shinichi flinched away.

Slowly, Shinichi emerged from his blanket cocoon. His wings drooped heavily on his back as he struggles to sit up and use the headboard as support. Kaito took the time to pull out a packet from his bag and poured it into a glass. Shinichi's reaction was immediate as he stiffened beside Kaito.

"Kaito." Even though the voice sounded soft and hoarse, it held a threatening tone.

"I know how you feel about it." Kaito shuffled closer, consciously trying to box Shinichi in. Even if his detective will hate him for it later, Kaito will force him to drink the contents. "But please, you have to stop treating yourself like this. You don't see my shying away from my non-human side."

"But it's different." Shinichi turned his head away, hoping to avoid his lips touching the glass itself. There was a reason he had been so reluctant to leave his blanket mound and flinched away from Kaito. He could smell _**it**_ very clearly the moment the magician entered his room. It was on his clothes, his skin, permeating from his pores. Shinichi's gums ached and his mouth salivated when the liquid was transferred from the plastic bag. It had taken him every ounce of discipline not to snatch the glass from Kaito's hands and downing the sweet tangy liquid.

"It's not different." Kaito became forceful, ignoring the dilating pupils and low growl as he tipped Shinichi's head back his way. "Like you, I go and forcefully take _something_ from unsuspecting humans every few nights. Granted, it's difficult for me to fully drain them and leave them to die but the fact remains that even my acts of survival can also be seen as something criminal." At one point, before he had even met Shinichi and found a partner in the detective, Kaito hated himself for needing to seek out humans and take their energies through unwanted intimacy. After acknowledging the detective as a mate, it was even more difficult for Kaito to accept his immoral actions. But he came to the understanding that in order to live, in order to continually be with Shinichi, he had to do the unthinkable. It was all the better since Shinichi had accepted this fact of the Succubi and was not angered by this physical show of infidelity.

"Energies are different to life blood." Shinichi stated plainly. "Your...victims...live. They generally derive pleasure from your actions. Mine...ours, it's harmful."

"Shinichi, please." Kaito scooted closer, glass held tight in his hand as he moved it closer towards the quivering lips. If he read his detective correctly, Shinichi wanted the drink but is unwilling to reach out for it, which leaves Kaito having to feed him.

When the glass touched the ashen lips, Shinichi had remained stubborn and unwilling to part his lips. But when the first drop of liquid touched his skin, the burning desire overrode all discipline and Shinichi was quick to gulp down the liquid. The effect was instantaneous with his flesh returning to a healthy shade of pale pink and lips becoming stained with red. His eyes was the most telling, brightening with every drop of liquid consumed.

In no time, the cup was empty but the slightly crazed look in Shinichi's eyes signaled to Kaito that he could have triggered some buried instincts. Kaito wasted no time to pull out the second packet but even before he could empty it into the cup, Shinichi lunged at the plastic pack in his hand and bite down hard on the plastic, puncturing the carefully sealed pack. He was sucking fervently on the liquid, eyes mad with desire. Kaito had feared Shinichi would revert to the baser instinct when starved, that he would commit unforgivable sins and punish himself for his lack of control

"There there." Kaito helped to feed his detective, still keeping a hold on the plastic pack of blood because Shinichi is severely lacking in the strength and coordination in his starvation. "Don't starve yourself next time." He gently patted the soft midnight locks, coaxing his detective to go slower but apparently, the hunger and thirst overrode such gentle gestures and instead Shinichi gave a warning growl at the disturbance. Kaito ignored the warning, feeling confident his detective would not harm the hand who was feeding him. In time, the drinking slowed as the pack emptied. Not a single drop of blood was wasted as the pale tongue licked at the small opening.

Shinichi growled again once the pack was finished, though this time with a sense of lost as he looked up at Kaito to demand for more. His eyes had lost some of the mad gleam but it was still present. Kaito pulled out a third pack, this time Shinichi's eyes merely followed it as Kaito empty its contents into a cup. Hopefully, his detective would not remember his own lost of control and would just think he had been feeding from a cup like a civilized person instead of a beast.

Half a cup was finished before Shinichi's senses came back. He looked between the cup and Kaito with questioning eyes.

"You were quite thirsty." Kaito commented with a shrug. "It's only your second cup." He motioned for Shinichi to finish what was left inside but there was clear hesitation. "Don't waste it now. It's not something you can keep you know." He chastised as he filled up the cup again. It would not do for his detective to stop now, not when the mysterious stranger in the blood bank insisted Shinichi to drink every last drop.

"Kaito. You know how I feel-" Shinichi was interrupted in mid-sentence when Kaito brought the cup, along with his hands, to Shinichi's lips. Kaito slowly, and gently, tipped the cup and Shinichi drank the vermillion liquid reactively. In no time, the rest of the cup was finished and replaced onto the nearby surface.

"See, now you're all better." Kaito beamed brightly at the sight of Shinichi looking more _normal_. "Your colour's returned and you've stopped shaking."

Shinichi looked down at his hands, his nails had returned to normal length once more. He could feel his incisors having shrunk in length ever so slightly as it no longer pierced his lower lips. Consciously, he brought his other features back towards himself. He could feel his wings resisting at the action, itching with a dull throb, but it was bearable.

"You don't have to feed me like that." He sighed at Kaito's forceful action. "It would have passed sooner or later."

"I'm betting it would be a lot later if I left you to your own device." Kaito shook his head before scooting onto the bed. "And if I didn't push for you to drink, you'd still be a quivering heap." Kaito laid his head down onto the pair of strong thighs, he played with the fabric bunched up on top, fingers trailing along the ridges. Shinichi's hand automatically found its way into his hair, giving it a soothing brush. "I don't want to see you like that. I don't want to feel helpless when you're clearly suffering."

"I'm fine Kaito. You worry too much." The calming voice did nothing to sooth Kaito's fears that one day he would truly find Shinichi as a heap of ash. His mind had not helped, supplying him with enough nightmare fuel to last for many lifetimes.

"I think I don't worry enough…" Kaito turned away from the foot of the bed to stare up at Shinichi who had a rather soft and fond look on his face. They stayed there for several heartwarming seconds before Shinichi succumbed to the warmth and bent down for a chaste kiss on Kaito's lips. Kaito could taste the tanginess on their shared breath, the lingering taste of iron on his tongue was not as repulsive as he had first thought. Though it does take some time to be used to it.

"You shouldn't skip school like this." Shinichi reprimanded when he moved away for a breather. "It'll look bad on your report."

"My grades more than make up for it." Kaito reached up, brushing away the few strands obstructing his view. "Besides, I'd rather my time be spent with you than inside a stuffy boring classroom."

This was one of the few arguments that crop up on a regular basis. Kaito's tardiness and Shinichi's feeding habits. However, both knew the other to be too stubborn to concede to point and every time the topic crops up, they would just leave it hanging and never resolve it. Though in Kaito's case, his tardiness would cease to be of any matter once they graduated.

"There's something bothering you isn't there?" Shinichi's voice punctuated the silent comfort. Kaito looked at the clear blue eyes with ample curiosity. "Don't bother masking your eyes."

"What am I masking it with?"

"Curiosity, and as of this moment playfulness and possibly lust as well." Shinichi seems to know Kaito a little bit too well. "You're wondering hand is rather a dead give away."

"Could never fool you." Kaito laughed, hoping it sounded as carefree as possible.

"No, you like to fool _around_ with me." Shinichi sighed deeply, "let's get that part of you satiated so I can rest."

Kaito laughed, this time good naturedly. "That isn't in my plans but I'll take you up on the offer."

Shinichi moved so he could sink his lips onto Kaito's own, he traced the edges of the mouth with his tongue, careful of knicking the supple flesh with his sharp incisors. However, Kaito had purposefully allowed his own tongue to map the shape of the smooth teeth and flicked lightly at the sharp edge. As intended, there was a sharp intake of breath and their kiss deepened. Lust came over Shinichi as much as it did to Kaito and they both fell into a tangle underneath the sheets.

 **-TBC-**


	7. Drinks on Me

**-All Hallow's Eve-**

Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

Warning: KaiShin relationship. AU-ish.

A/N: Less Shinichi, more Kaito. Also, more story and less fluff (and a lot of background stuff).

* * *

 **07: Drinks on Me**

It was not often that Kaito took up the mantle of a 'detective' as that was a title reserved for someone far more capable and with more knowledge in the area than his own. However, when said person was the target of some unscrupulous being, Kaito would willingly put down his white suit for a while and take up the deerstalker and magnifying glass. Which was why he had chosen to make a visit to the bar in question, the bar with the rumoured request for vampire 'parts', with a particular interest in blue-eyed vampires.

Kaito nursed his non-alcoholic drink by the bar counter, keeping a close ear to the surrounding conversations. The bar was quite packed for the night, with varying magical inhabitants but mostly of the human kind. He made certain to make himself as less confronting, which also means not restraining his Incubi hormones. It had led to quite a few turning bodies the moment he entered the bar as well as the continual stares at his back, or backside as those eyes had a tendency to stray. He instructed the bartender not to serve him alcohol, which included him giving out a rather generous tip. The bartender looked as though Kaito had hung the moon for him and promptly handed over a glass of soda.

Thankfully, none of the patrons dared to approach Kaito so at least he was left in peace. Despite wanting to feed from such a wide selection, Kaito held his instincts down. Instead, the bartender had approached with a wide grin and a glass in his hands. Kaito merely quirked an eyebrow upwards in question.

"Courtesy of several ladies at the back." The bartender gestured at a small table of three women, dressed in slinky dresses each with a glass of cocktail in front. They waved slowly in a beckoning manner. Kaito smiled back in kind and waved back. His smile must have done something as they swooned and sighed with adoring eyes. Though bothersome, Kaito let them continue staring at his back instead of walking over to entertain them. But if the night wore on him too much, he might just take a snack out of those three women.

"I won't be drinking any of these courtesy drinks though you're more than welcome to make a buck from it." Kaito suggested, letting the cold drink sit in front of him but not touching it. "You can accept their order, take their money, but pour me a glass of water or something non-alcoholic instead."

The bartender smiled in amusement. Kaito would bet he would laugh if he was not on the job.

"People come here to drink yet you're only here to nurse a drink. I should be more concerned at what you're planning to do but you are bringing in more orders." He shrugged before bowing out to service another table at the back. Kaito returned to his drink-nursing, as the bartender so nicely pointed out, and eavesdropping.

The night so far had turned out really boring, he did catch snatches of conversation that would be of interest to a detective, all of which he would be relaying back to Shinichi at another time, but none of the conversation pertain to what he really wanted to know. Any other person would have called in quits by now but Kaito is nothing but patient. He could wait all night if he needed, several if it turns out to be the case. When the bartender returned, this time it was a shot glass filled with a clear liquid. Kaito tipped the bartender with another bill, slipping it conspicuously when the glass was placed in front of Kaito. The bartender tipped his head in thanks and left Kaito alone for another extended period of time.

When the customer thinned out to something more manageable by the single bartender in this small bar, he came over to lean on the counter with the intention to start up conversation with Kaito.

"So, _should_ I be worrying about police officers storming my bar?" He asked with crossed hands.

"Is that what you think I am? An undercover cop?" Though he looked like his vampiric detective, he doubted he exerted the same air as Shinichi.

"Either that or a potential killer. No one sits at a bar and barely finishes half their drink." Both pairs of eyes looked at the glass in Kaito's hands, as well as taking in the five shot glasses and the tall colourful cocktail in front of him. "However, you don't really seem the type. So, are you here on a hunt then? Perhaps for something exotic?"

Kaito merely quirked his brows up again, hoping his silence can coax more words out of the bartender. This trick always worked for his vampiric detective so he hoped it worked for him as well. Thankfully, the bartender was in a fun mood and indulged in Kaito.

"We can sometimes get a lot of foot traffic, though there's not really that many hourly hotels around here so you'll probably have to head out a couple of blocks to get your fix. But I'm more than happy to lend you a back room if you need it, if you know what I mean." He flashed a conspiratorial smile and nodded to a doorway towards the back. "It doesn't have much, a couch, a table, and several lockers, as well as a small bathroom for staff but it should fit your purposes."

"You don't seem that alarmed…" Kaito was ready to bolt, just in case the bartender means any harm, "and you seemed to _know_ what I am."

"I'm not blind you know. I might be a bit less human than the average Joe around here." He nodded to the customers, "and a bit less magical as well."

"So you're a Mix then." Kaito suspected as much. The bartender did not smell entirely human after all. "And yet, you don't resent me for being what I am."

Their world, the non-human world, was a harsh one. On the surface, the different species seems to be getting along but under the friendliness lies hatred. The whole 'Vampire mess', as Kaito likes to dub it, is a prime example. Generally, all those beings who require another form of sustenance from a live source are frowned upon and those that can potentially leave permanent damage, or worst kill, through their feeding are especially feared. Whilst Incubus and Succubus has not received much bad rap or suffered from mass hunting, they were still looked down on as a lower species despite the amount of power that they wield. However, his own kind rarely make themselves known to others unless they were the intended victims, in which case the memories would have been erased after the feeding anyways so it would not matter.

"You were created as a result from loving contact between two beings, I can hardly fault you for being born."

"You're a wise man then." Kaito lifted his original glass up to tip at the bartender. "But it still doesn't justify how you can tolerate my being here."

"That's because I don't feel threatened by you, and you have brought in much profit for the night." The bartender lifted an empty glass in gesture and clinked onto Kaito's glass. "I wouldn't mind you visiting more often. Though hopefully not too soon."

"Is there a reason why?" Curiosity, and patience, seems to have paid off. The bartender waved Kaito to lean in closer.

"There's something happening around here. It's hunting season you might say." He leaned in further, weary of potential eavesdropper. "Someone has placed a large sum out for some... _choice ingredients_."

"Am I to assume that I, or my heritage, may bring me potential danger because I might be a target?"

"Not your type, no." He shook his head as he stepped back slightly. "Though I won't doubt it wouldn't be long until your type is on the list as well."

"How did you come by this information? And why are you telling me?" Suspicion crept into Kaito, no one does anything without some form of payment. Especially those of magical heritage, as demonstrated by a particular Red Mage. He remembered being told that those with magic in their blood, or aura as is the case with magical humans, rarely does things without some form of agreement on payment and service. Subtly, he let his Charm, a particular brand of Incubi magic to lure their victims to agreement, seep out and directed it towards the bartender.

"Let's just say I hear a lot of things as a bartender." He shrugged off Kaito's intentional use of his charm like it was dust or lint. Kaito was surprised as he only know one person so far, outside of his family and his species, to have the ability to shrug it off like it was nothing. That particular person just happens to be his mate and a vampire. "Plus I am hoping that I can get a word to a friend through this…"

Kaito did his best to mimic his detective as he leveled a stare at the bartender. There were tense moments of silence but finally, the bartender succumbed to Kaito's new interrogation technique.

"Someone left a job opportunity at the bar a month or so ago. I was unfortunately detained that night and my employee took the request. Now, it's sitting in my bar like an unwanted infestation and no matter what I do, I just couldn't get rid of it." He deliberately looked at a dark corner of the bar counter within reach of the sitting customer at the furthest seat on the counter. Just below the various decorative shelves of liquor sat a strange looking stone holding down pieces of parchment. "I wanted to blame it on my employee for taking the tip for the service, which resulted in my current predicament. But we live off tips from our customer so I can't blame him…"

"Then maybe I can help if you can tell me a bit more?" Kaito offered, even though he could not really undo whatever their contract was.

"You mean about whatever agreement my employee had with the client? That I don't know much about. What I do know is that the parchment contains a series of ingredient materials, from a particular species, and all those who took up on the job are bound by magic not to reveal the details. Since I'm the owner of the bar, I have access to the parchment and can read it without repercussions."

"Which would likely include you telling others about this as well I presume?" While the magic lacing the parchment had restricted those who view it, since the parchment now belongs to the bar and the bartender is its owner, it was a way to bypass the punishment for magic violation. Kaito smirked at this revelation, it seems there are loopholes in this after all.

"Yes, and I would very much like to warn a good friend to stay safe even if no one would suspect him of being a mythical being."

The term 'mythical being' was rarely used nowadays. Mages, especially those from old families, liked to be politically correct and use the term to describe those with magical powers but not of human origin as mythical beings whereas 'magical beings' were referred to those from human origins. 'Mixed beings', while seemingly rare because of the very few inter-species joining, is actually a common occurrence. Species like to satiate themselves with those from other species, sometimes resulting in an offspring that the other party did not know about. Unfortunately, because they were never recognised as mates, the mother often leaves these children in mage-run orphanages who would then grow up like humans. Their magical characteristics were often restrained, most of the time being told it was for their own good, and sometimes sealed if it was a dangerous trait. Regardless, these children then grow up, have normal families and sometimes manage to find their significant other in people with similar backgrounds which results in offsprings that are even more mixed in heritage but extremely diluted in magical powers.

"Is this _friend_ your mate?" Truly curiosity knows no bound.

He held up a hand and waved negatively, "my fiance would kill me if that were the case. No, he's someone I met a while ago, helped clear up some of our family's inheritance issues. It was...quite a messy affair you can say." The bartender was reluctant to reveal anymore and fell into a short silence before continuing, "but he's a great person with a great heart despite everyone thinking his kind as a monster."

Kaito did not know why but the more he hears about this apparent friend, the more it feels like it was a description of Shinichi.

"This friend of yours, is he a detective?" Kaito ventured to ask, wanting confirmation.

"Ah, I've said too much haven't I? I promised him not to say anything yet here I am, yammering on about him." He scratched his cheeks embarrassingly, averting eye contact with Kaito.

"I take it as a yes then." Kaito smiled softly, taking a sip from his glass, "if that's the case, I might know who this _friend_ is and I'll be more than happy to pass along you message."

His eyes widened in surprise, mouth opening slightly as though attempting to speak out but instead gave a relieved sigh. "You don't know how much that relieves me. Tell you what, the drinks are on the house tonight. You're likely here for a reason and if you're also friends with _him_ , then you're my friend as well."

With the night drawing to a close, Kaito decided it was high time he left. The bartender merely waved off the payment for drinks, stating that "you'll be doing me a favour by passing on the message."

Kaito only shook his head, "it's not nearly enough but how about this, I'll help you out of this predicament." Kaito let out a grin, a patented KID grin complete with teeth and all. "I'll make sure you won't be bothered by potential hunters again."

The returning smile from the bartender looked to be one of indulgence, as though he did not believe Kaito's words.

Outside, the night air was beginning to warm, hinting at the coming of dawn. Light was still far out of reach and the streetlamps were still very much alight. There was still enough time for him to grab a quick _snack_ before needing to head back home to change into his school uniform.

'Or I could just ditch school altogether today…' Kaito pondered as he wandered around the streets, 'I bet the teachers would be ecstatic to not have me there today. Though Aoko would be a pain afterwards...Nothing a mop chase couldn't fix though.' Kaito hummed a random tune as he walked, keeping an eye out just in cast.

 **-TBC-**


End file.
